Ancient and Indigenous Wisdom Traditions in African and Euro-Asian Contexts Towards More Balanced Curricular Representations and Classroom Practices Studies in Curriculum Theory Series

This book brings attention to the understudied and often overlooked question of how curricula and classroom practices might inadvertently reproduce exclusionary discourses and narratives that omit or negate particular cultures, histories, and wisdom traditions.

With a focus on representations and classroom practices related especially to ancient and Indigenous wisdom traditions and cultures, it includes unique contributions from scholars studying these questions in various contexts. The book offers a range of important studies from key African and Euro-Asian contexts, including Afghanistan, Albania, Greece, Iran, South Africa, Sweden, Türkiye, and Zimbabwe. The various chapter contributions address and discuss nuances of each of the contexts under study. The contributions also help highlight some key commonalities across these contexts, including how dominant discourses and various forces have historically shaped?and continue to shape and reproduce?such omissions, misrepresentations, and marginalization. In addition to seeking to reconcile with some of these ancient and Indigenous wisdom traditions and cultures, the book charts a path forward towards more holistic analytical frameworks as well as more inclusive and balanced representations and classroom practices in these aforementioned geographic contexts and beyond.

It will appeal to scholars, researchers, undergraduate, and graduate students with interests in Indigenous education, curriculum studies, citizenship education, history of education, religion, and educational policy.

Introduction–Historical and Living Indigenous Wisdom Traditions in Contention: Why This Edited Volume? 1. Exploring Historical Roots of the Chasm and Its Modern Manifestations and (Re)Productions 2. Representing Ancient Belief Systems to Fit National Constructs: Albanian and Greek School Curricula and Textbooks in Transition 3. Reconciling with the Ancient Greeks: Ancient Greek Religion and Greek Identity in the Early Greek School Textbook 4. What Has Been Lost?: Tracing the Religious Diversity of Anatolia over Discourses in Contemporary Secondary Education Curriculum of Türkiye 5. An Analysis of Afghanistan's 1–12 Education Curricula and its Treatment of Non-Abrahamic Belief Systems 6. Irreconcilable Narratives? Textual Representations of Zoroastrians in Iranian Textbooks and Their Experiences in Iran 7. Keeping the Balance: Reflections on Religion Education in Upper Secondary School in Sweden 8. Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge Within Mathematics and Technology Education: Teachers’ Beliefs and Experiences of How Culturally-Based Activities Shaped Their Spirituality, Identities, Worldviews and Attitudes 9. Moral Regeneration, Multi-Faith Perspectives, and Intercultural Exchange Representations in Zimbabwe’s Religious Education Curricula and Textbooks 10. Conclusion – Proposing a Typology to Deconstruct Representations of Historical and Living Wisdom Traditions, and Ways to Foster Dialogue and Reconciliation Efforts

Ehaab D. Abdou is Assistant Professor in the Department of Global Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada.

Theodore G. Zervas is Professor in the School of Education at North Park University, USA.